Belgium: South Korean marketing agency Sportizen becomes majority shareholder of Tubize

Sportizen, a South Korean marketing and sporting events company, has become the majority shareholder of AFC Tubize, the Belgian second division club announced on 04/08/2014. This is the first time a South Korean investor has become the majority shareholder of a European club, said AFC Tubize. The amount of the transaction and the exact percentage of the club acquired by Sportizen were not disclosed.

"We looked at many clubs before making our decision. But we quickly established a trusting relationship with AFC Tubize," said Shim Chankoo, the CEO of Sportizen on 04/08/2014. Before becoming the majority shareholder of AFC Tubize, Sportizen -- a specialist in golf, baseball, and Formula 1 -- had no football-related activities.

"Our goal is to create a new business model in the sports industry. We are already in talks with some companies that could become new partners and could help us to lead the club," said Shim Chankoo. "We do not exclude, for example, the possibility of selling the naming rights to the Leburton stadium (capacity 8,000)."

The objective of AFC Tubize for the 2014-15…